King continues Holyrood week with a dram of whisky
The King met charity and community organisations in the town hall where the distillery had a stand, and finally visited the harbour area.Charles is known to like whisky produced using peat, which has a very distinctive flavour, and he asked Iain McAlister, master distiller and manager of Glen Scotia's distillery in Campbeltown: "Is it a peaty one?" He was told it was not.
He watched as a double measure from the whisky, costing more than £500 a bottle, was poured, and after taking a sip said: "I'm always so amused by these people who describe these whiskys in the most amazing ways."On the distillery's website the whisky is described as having "hints of vanilla oak interwoven with the subtle notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits".Mr McAlister presented a bottle of the whisky to mark the visit and said afterwards: "It doesn't get much better than this, having the King try our whisky."
Outside well-wishers had waited in the rain to see the monarch who spent time shaking hands with people. When one local shouted out "you're looking well", Charles, who is receiving ongoing cancer care, replied "thank you".He stopped to visit a number of retailers including a fishmongers, butchers, fruit and veg store and Fetcha Chocolates run by chocolatier Fiona McArthur, who said last year she supplied vegan sweet treats for the famous Oscars goody bags.She added: "The King was asking how we made the chocolates and he was very excited about the Oscars when I told him, and we gifted him a box of chocolates."Earlier Charles watched 67-year-old Willie Skilling, livestock agent and sheep shearer, cutting off the fleece from a Scotch Mule sheep.He wrestled with the animal and used a harness called a bungee that supported his back, telling the King "this is what you call help the aged" and Charles replied: "I must remember that".The King ended his visit by meeting a series of organisations from HM Coastguard to the RNLI and Sea Cadets by the harbour along with local nursery school children.The Queen was not in attendance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Queen Camilla just stepped out in her favourite floral dress for summer - and we've found it on the high street
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Floral prints are a timeless trend, offering versatility and a touch of elegance to any summer outfit. Leaning into the nature aesthetic, Queen Camilla opted for a dress from one of her go-to designers, Fiona Clare, during a trip to Scotland with King Charles earlier this week. She previously wore a Fiona Clare design at The Chelsea Flower Show - a gorgeous green evergreen flora dress that had fans racing to buy high street versions for summer. The queen consort re-wore a floral dress with long sleeves, rounded shoulders and a slightly flared skirt for a visit to Maggie's cancer care centre and the unveiling of a memorial stone for Queen Elizabeth II in St Giles Cathedral. The dress features a base fabric of cream with cascading florals in shades of blue, pink and fuchsia running down the fabric. She debuted the dress last year at the Service of Dedication for the Order of the British Empire at St Paul's Cathedral and wore it again at the Canada House in May this year. Braving a day of heavy rain, she paired the frock with a blue Anna Valentine coat. For jewellery, she wore a strand of pearls, a gold plate pendant with a ruby centre stone and a Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra yellow gold and agate bracelet. To complete the look, she carried a Bottega Veneta top-handle bag and wore Chanel suede satin low-heeled pumps in beige/black - a staple piece of the queen consort's wardrobe. If you're looking to recreate Camilla's look, we have found plenty of high street alternatives which won't break the bank. Dresses: Joules Elise Provence Floral Long Sleeve Cotton Midi Dress £75 Shop Amazon Fashion Damart Pleated Printed Dress £54.99 Shop £72.25 Shop Yumi Bird And Floral Kimono Midi Dress £55 Shop Shoes:
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
King Charles gifted engraved bottle of whisky during Scotland visit
King Charles enjoyed a dram of whisky during his visit to a Scottish town famous for its distilleries. Charles and Camilla are in Scotland for Royal Week, during which the monarch traditionally spends a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse each year. Charles sipped a 25-year-old single malt by the Glen Scotia distillery while visiting Campbeltown in the wind and rain. He wore his own King Charles III tartan kilt for the visit to the town which made its fortune producing whisky which was sold around the globe and is now making a resurgence. More than a thousand people stood behind crash barriers to see the King tour the town. He first visited the local farmer's market where he watched sheep being sheared, met charity and community organisations in the town hall where the distillery had a stand, and finally visited the harbour area. Charles is known to like whisky produced using peat, which has a very distinctive flavour. He asked Iain McAlister, master distiller and manager of Glen Scotia's distillery in Campbeltown: 'Is it a peaty one?' and was told it was not. He watched as a double measure from the whisky, costing more than £500 a bottle, was poured, and after taking a sip said: 'I'm always so amused by these people who describe these whiskys in the most amazing ways.' On the distillery's website, the whisky is described as having 'hints of vanilla oak interwoven with the subtle notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits'. Mr McAlister presented a bespoke bottle of the whisky to mark the visit. Featuring a unique engraving which reads 'To celebrate the royal visit of King Charles to Campbeltown 3rd July 2025', the bottle was specially created by Glen Scotia to mark the occasion of the royal visit to Scotland's smallest whisky-producing region. Iain McAlister, Glen Scotia distillery manager, said: 'It's a tremendous honour to welcome His Majesty to Campbeltown. His visit not only recognises the town's historical significance, but also its vibrant whisky-making community. 'We are proud to gift The King a bespoke bottling of our 25-year-old to celebrate this special moment, a whisky that reflects the depth of character and craftsmanship which define Glen Scotia and Campbeltown.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
It's scary to talk about music scene abuse but if I don't, it won't change
A Scottish folk music musician has told BBC News that she is scared to speak out about sexual abuse in her industry - but that if she doesn't, nothing will Jane Wilkie, a fiddler from Tain in the Highlands, has been part of the traditional music scene for more than 17 has seen an improvement in behaviour in that time but believes it could be better."I've had some negative experiences since I was about 15. The accumulation of events and experiences of myself and other people, or things that I see, are really troubling," she said."There are some terrible things that happen and when people take account for what they have done, apologise and mean it, that's great."But that doesn't always happen and that is where the issue is. And obviously there should be accountability for that." Laura Jane is helping researchers at Glasgow University who have launched a study of sexual abuse in the Scottish folk music are inviting women aged 18 years or over, who are or were involved in the Scottish folk music scene, to participate.A team of academics will record people's experiences and create an independent evidence base in a bid to find solutions to an ongoing by the university, a final report will be published by the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. For Laura Jane, it can be difficult to go into the details of those said: "I think a lot of us who have been through these experiences, we talk about it a lot and sometimes the report becomes more about the incidents themselves. It's important to be aware of those things but I think it is more important that we move" 'MeToo moment' At the centre of the issue is music's informal environment. Musicians of all ages mix in social settings and alcohol is often to the someone is made to feel uncomfortable or worse, there is no HR department to turn started to tell their stories publicly in 2020, calling for an end to "inappropriate behaviour" and sexism in trad following year, well-known musician Iona Fyfe said she was offered help to get a festival gig in return for sex. At the time, the Musicians' Union saw it as a "MeToo" moment for the industry, saying that men had "always wielded the power in the trad music scene" and that the imbalance of power was "quite off" in music. Dr Kelly Johnson, one of the three researchers, told BBC Scotland News: "There has been a lot of discussion in public forums about the challenges women musicians are facing in terms of sexualised harassment and violence in the Scottish folk scene."But we are conscious there is not much research addressing this issue at all."We are launching an online confidential survey to capture the extent and nature of women musician's experience of sexual violence and harassment and collect ideas and understandings about pathways for change and possible routes forward."She said it was important to gather evidence because often when one person speaks out, it is easily negated by someone else saying that it isn't their experience and it doesn't added: "We are external to the folk music scene and us collecting independent evidence that is separate from the music scene itself will hopefully create a space for that conversation about what is going on and how it can move forward." 'A blurry line' Laura Jane sees this study as a step forward and is hopeful that it could lead to the establishment of an HR style said: "I think that sort of framework which would include – I hope – education for all genders on how to conduct ourselves in the many facets of being a freelance musician in Scotland."It's not just playing, performing or rehearsing, it's when you start learning from teachers – you are almost peers at that point. "That can be a blurry line if people in the class and people teaching the class are over 18."Dr Johnson acknowledges the difficulty in coming forward. Speaking up could lead to a loss of work for these women."We understand it is a difficult discussion to speak up. The folk scene is a really important part of our cultural identity, and is fragile in some respects, often involving tight-knit communities. Equally it is important that the scene is accessible and safe for people who want to participate in it."But it was important for Laura Jane to have her say - to be a voice for other women and to try and make a community that is so important to so many, a safer place for them."I think it's important we keep this conversation open and that is the only way things can change and get better. If we are openly talking about this, then hopefully we can learn and understand each other better. If it even prevents one other person from experiencing something bad in the traditional music scene or any music scene then I think I have a responsibility to allow that."If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issues in this article, help is available at BBC Action Line.
